Contents

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Introduction

This document contains some pointers to information on Formal Methods↑, useful for mathematically describing and reasoning about computer-based systems, available around the world on the World Wide Web (WWW). Formal methods are a fault avoidance technique that help in the reduction of errors introduced into a system, particularly at the earlier stages of design. They complement fault removal techniques like testing. Links for accessing online information in the following categories are available:

Individual notations, methods and tools

ACSR (Algebra of Communicating Shared Resources) and Graphical Communicating Shared Resources (GCSR), a formal language for the specification, refinement, and analysis of real-time systems. See the tools VERSA (Verification Execution and Rewrite System for ACSR) and PARAGON for visual specification and verification of real-time systems.

CWBConcurrency Factory and CWB-NC (The Concurrency Workbench of North Carolina), which includes a LOTOS interface, diagnostic information, etc. Note: The CWB and CWB-NC have a common ancestor, but are each under separate development.

ProofPower is a commercial tool, developed by ICL, supporting development and checking of specifications and formal proofs in Higher Order Logic and/or Z. Support for Z uses a deep(ish) embedding of Z into HOL, but includes syntax and type checking customized for Z.

SPIN is an automated verification tool (model checker), using PROMELA (PROcess MEta LAnguage), a language loosely based on CSP, for finite state systems, such as protocols or validation models of distributed systems, developed at Bell Laboratories. See also p2b, a translation utility.

StackAnalyzer, an abstract interpretation based static analyzer for computing the worst-case stack usage of tasks.

StateSim simulator for Statecharts models. Draw your models in Open Office Draw and the run your simulations from StateSim.